The two-hour finale of the fourth season of ABC's Desperate Housewives pulled off a surprise, by suddenly moving the story forward five years.  It's no surprise, then, that the show's producers have recast the actors playing the children of cancer-stricken housewife Lynette and her husband Tom Scavo, played by Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant, respectively.

Lynette's three sons will, by the start of the fifth season, be teenagers, while her only daughter Penny will be around 8 or 9 years old.  Joshua Moore is set to play the role of Parker, Lynette's oldest son.  Charles and Max Carver will play the role of the mischievous twins Porter and Preston, respectively.  Finally, Kendall Applegate will be taking on the role of youngest daughter Penny.

These new cast members add to the increasing number of actors debuting on Desperate Housewives' fifth season, which includes Neal McDonough, who is set to play Edie Britt's (Nicollette Sheridan) new husband.

The show's producers, Bob Daily and Sabrina Ward, think the recasting of the Scavo children might attract a new audience.  They told E! Online that they expect a following from tween girls, especially because of Max and Charlie Carver's inclusion in the cast.  “They really do look like young Matt Damons,” Wind said.

They also believe that the decision to jump five years in the storyline is a chance for them to somehow start over with the show.  “I would say from the writing standpoint that the five-year jump has been hugely energizing because it wiped the slate clean,” Daily told E! Online.  “We keep talking about this first episode like it's another pilot. We're starting over and each woman has a new drive now.”

Desperate Housewives is set to return to television screens on September 28, and with these changes—and perhaps a lot more to come—there's more reason for you to stay tuned.


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, E! Online
(Image courtesy of ABC)